


Curry Bread Picnic in the Midgar Wastelands

by AppleSharon



Series: Slice of Clack one-shots [4]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Romance, Slice of Clack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:41:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25412548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AppleSharon/pseuds/AppleSharon
Summary: “Curry bread?”“I promised I’d bring the food, didn’t I?”“At least you didn’t almost burn the bar down again.”“That was one time, Cloudy. One. Time.”Cloud and Zack discuss Zack's last stand over a picnic.Written for the Slice of Clack event. Prompt: Journey
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Series: Slice of Clack one-shots [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1812355
Comments: 4
Kudos: 50
Collections: Slice of Clack: July 2020





	Curry Bread Picnic in the Midgar Wastelands

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the [2020 Slice of Clack event.](https://sliceofclack.carrd.co/#schedule)

Cursing, Zack coughs loudly rubbing his face with his sleeve. 

“That’s only going to make it worse,” Cloud says, a hint of laughter in his voice that only Zack would be able to hear. “I told you to wear your helmet.”

“It doesn’t fit,” Zack pouts. 

His cough fades into a few dry wheezes while he watches Cloud release the sidestand and gently balance Fenrir onto the dirt with reverence.

“You treat that bike with more care than you treat me,” Zack quips. 

“Some things need extra care, Zack.” 

Cloud’s voice is flat but still carries a small note of mirth. To Zack, it’s like Cloud is beaming brightly up at him.

The wind ghosts across Cloud’s hair, tousling his delicate spikes. His hair had already been hopelessly matted down by the motorcycle helmet. Cloud looks more like he used to four years ago, eager and unburdened with his hair haloed around a shy smile. 

“Shall we?” Zack asks hoarsely. 

Cloud nods and hums as Zack pulls out a brown paper bag. Leaning over him, Cloud peers into it before snorting loudly and peering into Zack’s waiting smile. 

“Curry bread?”

“I promised I’d bring the food, didn’t I?”

“At least you didn’t almost burn the bar down again.”

“That was one time, Cloudy. One. Time.”

Laughing again, Cloud walks ahead of him to a rock formation and sits down in the shade. He holds his hand out for a curry bread, shaking his head as he tears through the plastic wrapper. 

They lapse into a comfortable silence, Cloud resting his head on Zack’s chest as they lean against the rocky outcropping where Zack had placed Cloud’s comatose body. 

“Did I ever tell you about what happened here?” Zack finally asks, staring out across the Midgar ruins. 

Cloud has heard Zack tell this story before, usually to Marlene or Denzel or whatever kids are hanging out with them at the bar. 

_”I was surrounded by Shinra troops on all sides, the Turks had sent helicopters after us—“_

_“To save us,” Cloud interrupts, rolling his eyes at Zack’s embellishment._

_Zack winks at him, ruffling Denzel’s hair before continuing. “But I didn’t know that, did I?”_

_“Nope!” Marlene says, her hand on Zack’s knee._

_“Exactly! Now where was I?”_

_“You were surrounded,” Marlene says. They’ve heard this story several times already and know how Zack tells it._

_With an answering grin, Zack nods. “I was surrounded. Cloud was moments away from waking up but he couldn’t help me—“_

_“Why was he asleep?” Denzel asks, wrinkling his nose._

_A flicker of sadness crosses Zack’s face. “He’d fought a big battle just before this one. So he had to rest, right Cloud?”_

_Cloud blinks back a burning pain in his chest. Denzel and Marlene stare up at him, eyes wide with anticipation._

_“Yeah it was just like you say, Zack.”_

__

“What actually happened here,” Zack adds, as if he can see Cloud’s thoughts in front of him. “Not what I tell the kids.”

“No… you haven’t.”

Their first months in Midgar are still hazy to Cloud. Truthfully, the entire year still doesn’t seem real. Their entire journey across the planet feels like an odd dream. 

Now Zack begins the story in a completely different way, with an edge to his voice that Cloud has heard only rarely — in Modeoheim, in Nibelheim, and once when Cloud had collapsed in the street from dehydration during his first week of mercenary work. 

“I remember thinking, ‘Is that all of them?’” Zack says. 

He pokes at the half eaten curry bread in his hands. There are crumbs stuck to his chin that Cloud wants to wipe off with his finger. After deliberating for a moment, he does and Zack leans into his touch, kissing Cloud’s fingertips. 

“I just looked around and suddenly there weren’t any more. I could barely stand.”

“Zack…”

“I didn’t… I didn’t want to kill them Cloud. Fuck, you were an infantryman once. I know they didn’t have a choice.”

Cloud hums, stroking Zack’s cheek. The crumbs are long forgotten. 

“When I got back to where I left you and you weren’t there I…” 

Zack’s voice cracks. He leans his head down onto Cloud’s shoulder and cries. Zack cries the way he does most things — loudly and with reckless abandon, never hiding his emotions. As the sobbing subsides, Cloud stretches and looks down at the bread wrapper in his hands. 

“Do you remember the first time we met?” Cloud asks. 

“Curry bread in the cafeteria. I came to the regular troops’ mess because ours didn’t have it.”

“I never expected to see the Zack Fair in our mess hall,” Cloud teases. “Especially not with seventeen pieces of curry bread.”

“I never expected to see the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen in my life while holding fourteen curry breads. Don’t try to trick me I know it was fourteen because that’s the first word you ever said to me.”

Zack crosses his arms and tries to look smug. The effect is somewhat ruined by the lovesick expression in his eyes and tears drying on his cheeks, but Cloud blushes and ducks his head. Sometimes Zack’s genuine nature is overwhelming. 

“Zack?”

“Spikey.”

“Why did you want to have a picnic here today? We could have remembered our escape differently. Tifa would have thrown you a party or something.”

“Yeah she would have and I dunno, I just wanted to share it with you, while you’re awake. I wanted to remind myself that you’re here.”

“Oh…”

Cloud squeezes Zack’s hand tightly. 

“I am…here, Zack. I promise.”

“I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> All of my entries for this event [can be found here](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1812355) and have to do with Zack and Cloud sharing some sort of meal (along with the prompt provided/chosen.)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! ^ ^


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